The Moral Maze

[Jazzrook]

Why does 'The Moral Maze' on Radio 4 always have a preponderance of rightwing contributors?
For example, this week it's Melanie Phillips, Giles Fraser, Matthew Taylor & Anne McElvoy.
Surely they could find a few leftwing commentators to balance things up?

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

Why does 'The Moral Maze' on Radio 4 always have a preponderance of rightwing contributors?
For example, this week it's Melanie Phillips, Giles Fraser, Matthew Taylor & Anne McElvoy.
Surely they could find a few leftwing commentators to balance things up?

JR

Well Matthew Taylor just about counts as left wing, after a commentatorily liberal fashion. Anne McElvoy was a notorious apologist for what are now called "far right" ideas, and yet the Bee Bee Cee now uses her a lot in hosting general topic programmes. Anything really "controversial" on Today is slotted into the final 6 minutes, disallowing contriters from fully presenting and arguing positions while leavint the BBC free to claim coverage. One could go on about alleged BBC leftwing bias, citing the number of ex-members now top advisers to major financial concerns, and even Channel 5 whose top spot morning chat show with phone-ins has guests heavily weighted to the right in numbers, having to all intents and purposes lost most of its frequent contributers since the cringeworthy Jeremy Vine - who treats us viewers and its erstwhile (and pre-lockout increasingly mute) studio audience like 5-year olds - took over from what had been the Matthew Wright Show a few years ago. In the instant-truthful-answers-required stakes, Channel 4 evening news just about manages to hold its own against the omnibiquitous tide of subservient mainstream media sycophancy, in which the rare investigative is always too little too late. David Olusoga's documentaries on racism would seem to be the honorable exception, except of course that he made these before Black Lives Matter became the pressing issue in has now become, namely too much in the face to be shunted off into minority academic viewing.

My way of dealing with this and not getting too downhearted is to bear my own witness to what people are being told and how it is being told, understanding the reasons why and forces at play, and using it preparatorily as ways to sharpen up my own arguments when people parrot the same old same old platitudes. To thine own self be true, or something.

[Braunschlag]

Why does 'The Moral Maze' on Radio 4 always have a preponderance of rightwing contributors?
For example, this week it's Melanie Phillips, Giles Fraser, Matthew Taylor & Anne McElvoy.
Surely they could find a few leftwing commentators to balance things up?

JR

Looking briefly at the BBC page about MM your example actually appears to be an even match between both sides, both Fraser and Taylor appearing to be left of centre.

[Serial_Apologist]

Looking briefly at the BBC page about MM your example actually appears to be an even match between both sides, both Fraser and Taylor appearing to be left of centre.

Just about left of centre, compared with Messrs McElvoy and Phillips, who are about as far right as anyone wants in what now passes for mainstream political opinion, to my once accustomed way of thinking.

[Jazzrook]

Just about left of centre, compared with Messrs McElvoy and Phillips, who are about as far right as anyone wants in what now passes for mainstream political opinion, to my once accustomed way of thinking.

Didn't Matthew Taylor work for Blair's New Labour and also help write some now forgotten report on workers' rights for the Tory party?
Anne McElvoy seems to pop up everywhere and is treated as a voice of 'common sense'.
A few years ago TMM was worth listening to when people like Alex Callinicos & Steven Rose made regular appearances.
It would be interesting to have David Olusoga on TMM - I can't recall ever hearing a black contributor.

JR

[Braunschlag]

Just about left of centre, compared with Messrs McElvoy and Phillips, who are about as far right as anyone wants in what now passes for mainstream political opinion, to my once accustomed way of thinking.

Only going on what the BBC prints!

[Serial_Apologist]

Only going on what the BBC prints!